Knitting-machine.



PATENTED SEPT. 27, 1904.

D. F. SULLIVAN. KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED FEB. 29, 1904..

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

NO MODEL.

l/l//TNESSES No. 770,942. Patented September 27, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

DANIEL F. SULLIVAN, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGN OR TO LATV- RENCEMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OFMASSACHUSETTS.

KNlTTlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 770,942, datedSeptember 27, 1904. Application iiled February 29, 1904. Serial No.195,749, (No model.)

T all wwm t 77ml/ @0W/@WW upon the forward ends of the cam-levers 15,

Be it known that I, DANIEL F. SULLIVAN, a pivotally mounted at 16 on theframe 12 of the citizen oftheUnited States,residingatLowell, attachment.The rearwardly-extended arms in the county of Middlesex and State ofMasof the cam-levers 15 are provided with por- 5 sachusetts, haveinvented certain new and usetions -adapted to be engaged by pins uponpatful Improvements in Knitting-Machines; and tern-wheels 17, actuatedthrough the medium I do hereby declare the following to be a full, ofthe pawl 18. carried by the reciprocating clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, slide-bar 19, which is mounted in suitable such aswill enable others skilled in the art to bearings in the frame of thedevice and which I0 which it appertains to make and use the same.carries upon its forward end a cam-roll 20,

The presentinvention relates to an improveengaging the cam 21, securedto the needlement in knitting-machines, and more particucylinder 1.larly to striping attachments for circular The tube-carrying levers 5and 8 are pro- 60 barbed or spring needle knitting-machines. vided withrearwardly-extended arms 22 and f I5 The object of the present inventionis to 23, respectively, which are provided with reorganize and improvethe striping attachcurved slots 24 and 25, engaging a fixed pin 27, mentfor knitting-machines, illustrated and deby virtue of which the ends ofthe yarn-tubes scribed in my Patent No. 703,973, patented in passingfrom their operative to their inop- July 1, 1902. erative positionsfollow a path of motion 2O In the accompanying drawings, illustratingwhich is indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the preferred form of theinvention, Figure 1 extending from the operative position, in is a sideelevation of the attachment. Fig. 2 which the end of the yarn-tube 3 isshown, to is a front elevation of the thread holding and the inoperativeposition, in which the end of cutting devices. Fig. 3 is a section online the yarn-tube4is shown. It will be observed 25 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4is a section on line 4 4, that the forward end of this path of motion isFig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a plan of theoperatingcurved sharply, so that theend of the yarncarn. tube 4 in its inoperative position is located Theneedle-cylinderl is mounted in the usual within the circle of theneedles, but only manner on the bed-plate of the knitting-maslightlythereabove. The curving of the slots 30 chine and carries the usualbarbed or spring 24 and 25 secures this path of motion for the needles2. The yarn is guided to the needles ends of the yarn-tubes, and it isconsidered by yarn-tubes 3 and 4, of which the yarnthat this feature ofthe present construction tube 3 is shown in the position which itoccuconduces to the certainty and reliability of the 8O pies whendelivering thread to the looperoperation of the attachment.

3 5 wheel to be knit into the fabric. The yarn The thread cutting andholding devices are tube 3 is carried by a tube-carrying lever 5, intheir general construction and mode of oppivoted at 6 u'pon theintermediate lever 7. eration similar to the corresponding devices Theyarn-tube 4 is carried in similar manner of the said patent. Certainimprovements, 85 by the lever 8, pivotally supported at 9 upon however,have been embodied in the construc- 40 the intermediate lever 10. Thetwo levers 7 tion, which are described as follows: The staand 10 arepivotally mounted upon the stud tionary blade 29` of the thread-cuttingdevice 11, secured to a portion of the frame 12 of the is projecteddownward within and close to the attachment, which in turn is mountedupon circle of the needles and upon its upper end the bed-plate of themachine. The rearwardlyis provided with a laterally-projected arm 30,

45 extended arms 13 of the intermediate levers which afords a supportfor the independent 7 and 10 are provided with adjusting-screwsdownwardly-projected guide-plate 31, which 14, the lower ends of whichare adapted to bear is secured to said arm by means of screws 32.

The plate 31 is slotted at 33 to reccive the screws 32, so as to permitthe vertical adjustment of the said plate 31 to present itin properrelative position to the thread-guide 40 on the outside of the needlesand its removal for convenience in sharpening the stationary knifeblade29. The guide-plate 31 is provided upon its forward edge with an apronor flange 34, which is extended inwardly7 down along' the forward edgeof the guide-plate 31 and along the adjacent portion of the bottom edgeof the said guide-plate 31. The margin of this apron or iiangeconstitutes, in effect, a supplementary yarn-guidelocated behind the guide-plate 31 and in operation independent therefrom, though securedthereto for convenience in construction. The supplementary yarn-guidecontributes to the certainty of operation of the machine, particularlywhen the yarn-tube is thrown into operation. The yarn extending from theholder to the delivery end of the yarn-tube is bent over the edge of theiiange 34 when the yarn-tube is thrown into operation, and the yarnextends in a straight line from a point within to a point without thecircle of the needles, thereby insuring the correct presentation of theyarn to the needles when it is thrown into operation. This feature ofthe invention has been adopted owing to the difficulty which hassometimes been experienced with the construction of the said patent,

arising from the fact that the yarn when thrown into operation was bentsharply along the tops of the needles, with the result that it sometimescaught there and ran in over the yarn-guide and failed to be knittedinto the fabric. This feature of the invention also contributes in aminor degree to the certainty of operation of the device when the yarnis thrown out of operation, as it tends to prevent the yarn from runningbetween the movable blade 35 and inside guide-plate 31 and consequentfailure of being cut. The movable knife-blade 35 and the holder 36 areconstructed and operated substantially as in the construction of thesaid patent, except that the shank of the holder` 36 is provided with acam-surface 37, which is engaged by the back edge of the knife-bladewhen it is retracted to open the holder. The means for operating themovable knife-blade 35 are somewhat different from the construction ofthe said patent, consisting of the cam-lever 38, which is employed toopen the knife-blade, and a spring 39, which is employed to close thesame.

The yarn-guide 40,adjustably mounted upon the frame 12 of the machinehas its forward end adapted to engage the barbs of the needles andcarries a guide-wire 41,which, to.- gether with the guide proper, 40,guides the yarn to the looper-wheel 42.

The cam 21, above referred to, which operates the various parts of thedevice through the medium of the pattern-wheel 17, is constructed withthree rises, so that suiiicient time is provided for the successivemovements of the parts and their proper coperation with the thread. iThe first rise 43 operates to move the slide-bar 19 rearwardly, so as toturn the pattern-wheel17 sufficiently to operate one of the levers 15 tocause the inoperative yarn-guide to be thrown from in-. The' dwellYoperative to' operative position. succeeding this rise 43 affords timefor the yarn just previously thrown into operation to be knit into thefabric along with the other yarn, so as to make the lap. Then the secondrise 44 operates to rotate the patternwheel 17, so as to cause the othercam-lever 15 to be moved, so as to throw the other yarntube intoinoperative position and simultaneously` to move the movable knife-bladeto open position, thereby separating the knifeblades to receive the yarnjust thrown out of operation. The dwell succeeding the rise l44 affordstime for the passage of the yarn thrown out of operation under theguideplate 31 and into the opening between the two knife-blades. Thenthe third rise 45 operates to turn the pattern-wheel 17 still farther,so as to release the cam-lever 38 to permit its spring 39 to cause themovable blade to cut oif the yarn thrown out of operation.

The adjustable part 28, carrying the pin 27, is provided with a slot inits shank, so that the pin 27 may be moved vertically and horizontallyto vary the path of motion of the yarn-tubes to suit the exigencies ofany given case, to cause them to move in the proper path from theiroperative to their inoperative and from their inoperative to theiroperative positions, thereby affording' a means for independentlychanging the path of motion and the operative and inoperative positionof the delivery ends of the yarn-guides.

The adjusting-screws 14 serve as means for adjusting the positions ofthe levers 7 and 10, thereby cooperating with the pin 27 in changing thepath of motion of the yarn-tubes.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is- 1. A circularspring-needle knitting-machine, having, in combination,aneedle-cylinder, knitting-wheels, a plurality of movable yarn-guides,and means for moving them includinga yarn-guide-carrying lever providedwith a curved slot, and a stationary pin for engaging said slot,substantially as described.

2. A circular spring-needle knitting-machine, having, in combination, aneedle-cylinder, knitting-wheels, needles carried thereby, a guide-platelocated within and close to the circle of the needles, a supplementaryyarnguide located inside of the guide-plate, and yarn-changing devices,substantially as described.

3. A circular spring-needle knitting-machine, having, in combination, aneedle-cylinder, knitting-wheels, a guide-plate located within and closeto the needles provided with IOO 5. A circular spring-needleknitting-mw' chine, having, in combination, a needle-cylinder,knltting-wheels, yarn-changing devices,

a yarn-cutter, a yarn-holder, and means for successively operating theparts to move an inoperative yarn-guide from inoperative position intooperative position, then simultaneously to open the yarn-cutter and tothrow the other operative yarn-guide -from operative to inoperativeposition and thereafter to cause the cutter to make its cutting stroke,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL F. SULLIVAN.

Witnesses:

HORACE VAN EVEREN, FARNUM F. DoRsEY.

